Boiling Waters
by Lucicelo
Summary: Avatar AU: Nowaki is a water bending healer who traveled away from his tribe, Hiroki is an escapee from the fire nation, convicted of a crime he didn't commit. They meet one night when Hiroki is injured by fire nation soldiers and Nowaki takes him into his home. He heals all of his wounds and offers a safe haven away from the dangers of the war closing in from all directions.
1. On the run

_A/N: I rewatch Avatar the last Airbender all of the time and since Nowaki fits as a water bender and Hiroki fits a as fire bender, I decided to make this fanfic. This is years before Aang is defrosted in the first episode so team avatar are only going to be in this fanfic in the last chapter as they pass by Nowaki and Hiroki's cabin. (So in the last chapter should I make this a crossover? I have no idea how to categorize this when I finish it) _

_I already have someone already excited for this fic on tumblr and I hope I live up to her expectations. I'm updating so many things that I'm actually losing track of what exactly I should be working on without having to resort to writing them on a list of paper but I think I'm getting the hang of it._

_-Lucicelo_

* * *

Chapter 1: On the Run...

In the middle of the night, sounds of the fire benders screaming was all he heard as he ducked down into a ditch to catch his breath. The crunching of leaves might have given him away but the sounds of the animals running away through the forest disguised it to an extent. Hiroki slowed down his breathing as best he could while he clutched his side, he tried not to cry out in pain from the burn he received earlier that day.

The blood seeped through his fingers and Hiroki wiped the liquid on his shirt in an attempt to stop it from hitting the ground. This way the fire benders wouldn't have a trail to find him when he moved again. The night might help him hide for a while but the fire benders were not stupid, they searched high and low with every possible resource they could find. A simple blood trail was easily found when they paid close attention to the ground.

He looked over his shoulder and rapidly turned back around when he saw one of them getting closer to his location. His vision went a little blurry, he wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his old ripped shirt. The blood loss was already affecting him and he had no place of safety to hide in after he was exposed in the village days prior.

Earth benders in that town chased after him who he fought hard enough and defeated them. Yet one of them tipped off the fire benders in the next town and they tracked him down without mercy. They ambushed him in a group without his knowledge, a barrage of fire washed onto him and he barely managed to escape. His memories of the prisons in the fire nation fueled his determination to run away as well as a small touch of fear.

Hiroki looked around and all he saw for miles were a whole variety of trees, the moonlight illuminated them enough so he had a visual of his surroundings. He knew he was stuck inside of a forest terrain and it would take a while for him to even get out without exposing himself. He swore as he closed his eyes and leaned back onto the debris, not even caring that his neat kept hair was entangling with the dead leaves.  
He pushed himself into the dirt as they passed the ditch he hid in. The light of the fire they produced lit a good portion of the hole as Hiroki focused on not moving a muscle. He stared at their shadows getting further and further away, taking the light away with them as it dissipated with each step they took. They stepped on dead leaves as they walked away from the ditch, never once thinking to even look inside.

Hiroki froze in his spot for a couple of minutes, he kept a close ear on footsteps returning or venturing to his direction. His head spun from lack of blood and he pinched his arm to keep himself awake, going to sleep wasn't an option. One wrong tumble onto the ground or a snapped twig could alert the fire bender and they would return.

When he was sure they were a fair distance away, Hiroki breathed in harshly to try to get air inside of his lungs. His wounds rubbed against the rubbish and he hitched his breath in pain.

"Damn it..."

Hiroki bit his lip as he stood up on his feet and he swayed to the side. Hiroki placed his hands on the dirt wall to steady himself and the cold night hit him hard as he trembled harshly. He regretted having left his clothing back at his old home when he ran away from the village, he had a decent warm coat which would've warmed him nicely.

He battled the pain as he climbed out of the ditch and laid on the grass. Hiroki stared up at the crescent moon in the sky as he sighed, he couldn't evade those hunters for too long. The nearest village hated anything or anyone from the fire nation and would report him immediately.

Hiroki assumed the news of his capture must have spread then he might have to go without food for a while or find food in the forest. He heard footsteps and he instantly stood up on his feet and pain coursed through his body. He walked away from the ditch and kept an ear for those footsteps while he tried hard not to make any noise.

Hiroki pictured the images of his parents when they saw him taken away from their home in chains. From his cell, he heard his father on a rampage to the guards who told him the reason why he was taken. Soshi denied this when his son was home for the past month after he was discharged from his troop and taught his cousins fire bending. The servants provided their testimony to help out the Kamijou family.

There really was nothing they could do, Hiroki figured out in a short time that he was targeted in a conspiracy webbed inside of the army. He was singled out like many of the soldiers before him, those that seemed dishonest in their loyalty to the fire nation. They were banished or exterminated before they betrayed their nation, they called it a cautionary measure but it was paranoia.

The fire nation soldiers bragged about how this generation would end the war in the fire nation's favor. Yet Hiroki saw no end in sight, the army have not taken over Ba Sing Se or even the Northern Water tribe. Everyone was getting paranoid of spies in their ranks and even the slightest notion of weakness and the person was taken out.

Hiroki only joined the army so his father didn't have to assign himself, his father already served his time in his youth and Hiroki didn't want him to experience his nightmares again. His strong stern father showed his weakness to him in hopes that he didn't do the same mistakes he did in his service in the army.

He didn't regret his actions while he was in his troop since he gave mercy and even let whole families escape with their lives. Hiroki didn't see how they were a threat to them when a good portion of them didn't even have weapons or were benders. It was meaningless slaughter in his eyes and Hiroki hated what he saw in his term.

Hiroki hated being labeled a senseless killer when he had never killed anyone in his life. Whenever he killed someone it was accidental and he regretted it afterwards. Killing people was a badge of honor to the soldiers and Hiroki felt sick to his stomach when they patted him on the back on his good work.

He never voiced his disgust when his words could be used against him.

The explanation given to his family on why he was arrested wasn't the real reason. One of the guards who knew him years ago told him the truth which shocked Hiroki immensely and he recalled his actions before his arrest. He was going to get executed for a whole different crime he didn't even commit.

Half an hour of walking and Hiroki's vision was blurred, he couldn't make out where he was headed to. His ears picked up the sound a river up ahead and he licked his dry lips. Hiroki saw this a stroke of luck, he was already thirsty and he needed to wash off some of the blood from his body. He might even have a chance to clean himself so he wouldn't be uncomfortable when he found a place to sleep.

Hiroki gulped as he stumbled though the shrubs and he made out the outline of someone right in front of him. The moonlight illuminated the blue clothing he wore which brought immense relief to Hiroki that he wasn't fire nation but the danger wasn't over.

This man might leave him to die when he saw him or kill him when he saw his clothing. Hiroki had to take a chance even if it might backfire on him. He got closer and closer and he knew his wobbly footsteps onto the grass alerted the man in front of him.

The man looked over his shoulder and stood up just in time to catch Hiroki in his arms. Hiroki felt the warmness of his body, the security of his arms wrapping around him as his body shut down.

The last thing he visualized was a pair of bright blue eyes staring down at him. For the first time since he escaped the fire nation he saw pure sincere concern in someone's eyes.

* * *

Nowaki bended some water into the jug he carried toward the river as he stretched his arms after he was done. He forgot to gather some earlier in the day when he left his home to buy some vegetables, well the ones he needed to make the stew he left finished at home. His garden outside of his cabin had some vegetables but they had not grown in yet or were still little sprouts. At least they didn't dry up on him since he checked on them every chance he got.

There was almost nothing to do in his isolated location, unless he went and spent time in the nearest town which was already a long distance away. His source of entertainment was either his gardening or using his water bending to play around in the rivers of the forest. He always found something to keep himself busy and talking with travelers on his walks was always a good experience.

He sat right beside the jug as he scooped some water from inside of it and took a long drink of water to quench his thirst. The moon illuminated the lake in the right places making it seem like the water was glowing in front of his eyes. The sounds of the night made it more magical and Nowaki thought this natural music would lull him to sleep.

A smile appeared on his face as he felt the power of the moon course through his body. He loved looking up at the moon when he stayed up late at night and when the moon was nice and full. This scenery reminded him of his days back at his hometown, where he swam in the middle of the night at times he couldn't sleep or had a bout of insomnia. Although the water was deadly cold, he managed to keep himself warm from the use of his bending and limiting his time inside of the water before he got out. He grew muscular from rowing the small boat his mother owned so he could go fish for her when they needed food.

The other boys of the village treated him the same as any other child, despite the whispering the mothers did about how his r_eal_ mother abandoned him on the day of his birth. She left the Northern Water Tribe without a word and no one ever told him her name. Some said grief stuck her hard when her husband died months before his birth, she always looked tired and depressed when anyone saw her leaving her home. This was all speculation from anyone who tried to find a reason as to why she left him but no one talked to her or knew her well enough to conduct a proper reason.

His adoptive mother swooped in and took him under her wing because no one else was willing to house him when they had kids of their own. She fought hard to adopt Nowaki as her child even though she wasn't married or engaged like many women in the village. She always brought up how she raised her brothers on her own, who turned out to be excellent warriors. After a while, the chief relented when he saw no one else was going to take in Nowaki and her arguments convinced him she was the child's best choice.

She told him the truth when he was young enough to understand but he still called her his mom. She was his mom, no one could ever replace her in his eyes not even the woman who was his biological mother.

Many of the girls who were at marrying age already laid their eyes on him or implied on paying his attention on them. Nowaki politely declined his interest on marrying anyone when he was still figuring out his own identity and still had growing up to do. He understood the tribe's tradition of marrying the girls at sixteen but Nowaki preferred waiting until he found someone he liked and he fully explored the world outside of the north pole.

He settled in a random earth village after he visited one of the air nomad temples and he was in awe at the architectural structures of the buildings. Nowaki didn't enter the buildings, seeing that he wasn't an air nomad and it would be a big disrespect for the monks who used to live there. Nowaki scratched out visiting any place in the fire nation, he wasn't looking for trouble and he knew their soldiers wouldn't hesitate to blast him with flames when they first see him. He tried not to generalize everyone because of some individuals but he couldn't help doubting people from the fire nation.

Nowaki patted his cheeks as he sighed, he always hoped the avatar would pop out of nowhere and bring peace to the world. His tribe was still hopeful and it didn't hurt that the fire nation underestimated the size of their tribe and hadn't attacked them yet. In his travels he encountered many people who simply gave up hope already. The fire nation were taking over many villages in the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Lord's eyes were set on invading Ba Sing Se from what the influx of rumors told by the villagers led to believe.

No one was too worried when there were countless amounts of earth benders who were stationed in perfect places so they could defend their nation when necessary. They wouldn't get too far unless they had a whole army backing them up or knew the best spots to take over first.

Thinking they were never going to appear in Earth Kingdom soil was hiding the undeniable truth of the state of the world.

Nowaki heard rustling behind him as he readied to attack the person coming to his direction. He didn't know if this person was a simple civilian or a bender so he readied his hands to bend the water in the river when needed. He stayed in his crouched position and feigned drinking water from the river while he stared at the reflection in the water.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the figure but saw him swaying from side to side. Nowaki squinted his eyes and tried getting a better look at the person but the darkness of the trees obscured the person from view. He gathered some water in the palm of his hand and it formed into a small ball and kept his guard up.

A man made it through the bushes and almost tripped on his own feet. He managed to compose himself but struggled to keep himself on his feet as he kept on walking.

Nowaki was shocked when he saw the visible injuries the man had all over his body. Especially the blood which kept seeping through the hand the man pressed tightly on the would on his side. The man stumbled closer and closer to Nowaki, his eyes were half open in an attempt to see where he was going. Nowaki stood up on his feet and went to his aid in time to catch him he fell to the ground from exhaustion.

The man murmured a few words as he slowly went to unconsciousness. Nowaki stared down at him and saw the burns scattered around the man's body, he cringed when he touched the one on the man's cheek. He knew fire benders were ruthless in their pursuits and their fights but to injure someone to this extent was just horrible.

"It's going to be okay sir, I'm going to take care of you." Nowaki exclaimed in an attempt to wake him up with his voice, when that didn't work he maneuvered the older man in his arms.

He stood up and cradled him close to his body, he ran toward the direction of his cabin and left the jug by the river. All he thought about was to place this injured man in his bed and then return to the river for his water so he would conduct his healing bending.

* * *

Nowaki stared at the man in his bed and he sighed when he carried a jug of water in his arms. He felt bad for the older man who passed out in his arms, the burns that covered most of the man's chest made him cringe. He saw the fire bursting into the sky earlier in the day and in an instant knew fire benders wandered the area. Nowaki understood many aspects of the war through his traveling but he couldn't push away the reality of how much the world transformed after such a long lasting war.

He placed the jug on the floor and sat on his chair. Moving his hands fluidly, the water gathered in each individual hand as he placed them in spots over the man's burns. A bright light surrounded them as he kept them there until they dissipated to lower degree burns, then moved onto different sections he discovered.

In the Northern Water Tribe, they discouraged males from learning healing methods when battle style bending was what a boy needed to learn to protect the tribe. Nowaki was told that healing wasn't useful when later he would need to use bending to fight not to heal in the battlefield. The men were the ones who went to fight in the front lines and the women stayed behind to heal, it was the natural order of things and Nowaki had to accept it.

Nowaki begged his adoptive mother to teach him her healing methods, he didn't like fighting so much but wanted to help others instead. She told him he had to continue on with his classes in the daytime but she could teach him after sunset, she explained they needed to keep it a secret so he wouldn't get in trouble. Nowaki agreed to keep this a secret and he excelled in his daily training methods which didn't arouse suspicion.

He was glad he convinced his adoptive mother to teach him, he found this skill quite useful when he left the tribe and traveled around the world. Nowaki only alerted his mother who gave him enough food to last him a few weeks and a boat to sail away when he left in the middle of the night. She slapped him on the back with a smirk on her face and wished him the best of luck on his travels.

Nowaki touched the man's face and cupped his bruised cheek, making the unconscious man's face scrunch up in pain. He healed the bruised cheek and when Nowaki saw no visible signs of injury he removed his hand in order to tend to other parts of the man's body. From the tattered and burnt clothing, Nowaki knew they needed to be replaced.

He found a small pendant hanging from the man's neck with the insignia of the fire nation. Nowaki touched it and found a small button on the side which interested him. He left it alone and continued healing different parts of his body, it would be rude to open something sentimental to someone else. From the overall state of the man, he assumed he ran away from the fire nation or was banished.

Nowaki furrowed his eyebrows as he healed more spots on the fire benders body. Calling the man a run away was more plausible, fire nation soldiers were relentless in capturing traitors and jailing them so they wouldn't leak out any vital information from the fire nation.

He felt bad for him, he couldn't imagine the pain of his injuries before he started healing him.

The man groaned as Nowaki whispered. "It's okay...I'm just here to help you." The man murmured in disagreement, Nowaki arched a brow at the rapid denial of his assistance.

If he wanted to hurt this man he wouldn't have healed his burns and left him outside in the cold night. In his experience, Nowaki rarely got an individual who refused his help, though it helped that he was a water bender and not a fire bender.

The man opened his amber eyes and stared up at Nowaki in disbelief. He sat up on the bed, touched his chest in the places he knew had burns and turned to Nowaki in shock. His eyes wandered up and down Nowaki's figure, stopping at his glowing hands.

Nowaki smiled at him and stopped bending so the man felt safer and not at all threatened. "Hello I'm Nowaki Kusama, what's your name?"  
He answered with hesitation at revealing his name. "Hiroki Kamijou."

"Nice to meet you Kamijou-san." Nowaki told him as he stood up from his bed and went to check on the soup he made, excitement filled his body that he had a guest to serve for once. "You looked pretty bad when you fainted in my arms so I hope you don't mind that I healed you while you slept."

He opened the door to his bedroom which lead straight to the kitchen and left it wide open. This way the fire bender could see him as he went to get the food. Though he did risk the chance that Hiroki could blast him with a fire ball but Nowaki dismissed this assumption.

Hiroki stared at Nowaki in disbelief as he asked. "Why?"

"Hmm?"

Hiroki glared at him as he snapped in irritation. "Why did you do that? If you haven't noticed I'm from the fire nation, you should be trying to chase me out or trying to kill me like the rest of those people in the village and everywhere else."

Nowaki stirred the soup as he looked over his shoulder when he responded. "Kamijou-san do I really need a reason to help someone in need?" Hiroki didn't answer as Nowaki turned back to the stove and took out a few bowls from a cabinet. "Besides I don't judge until I get to know a person."

"Until you get a face full of fire balls." Hiroki stated as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Nowaki chuckled while pouring the soup into each bowl. "You have such an interesting sense of humor." He went back to his seat and handed Hiroki a bowl as the fire bender kept his eyes on Nowaki. "It's good, trust me this soup stayed on the stove and cooked very slowly so there is loads of flavor."

Hiroki furrowed his eyebrows as he smelled the soup with suspicion. "This isn't sea prune soup is it?"

Nowaki laughed as he shook his head in amusement, he knew water tribe food was an acquired taste to many people. Not a lot of people who didn't grow up eating it wouldn't enjoy it or even eat it on daily basis.

"No! It's meat soup with loads of vegetables."

Hiroki wrapped his hands around bowl and Nowaki eagerly sipped his soup without using utensils. "No spoons?"

"I'm sorry!" Nowaki got up and grabbed a spoon from the cabinet. "I usually never eat soup with a spoon or with company present. I'm just so used to it..." He handed Hiroki his spoon as the fire bender took a sip. "What do you think?"

Hiroki took another gulp before he answered honestly, there was no use in lying, the guy basically healed him without needing to. "It's good...best food I've had in a while."

"Thank you!" Nowaki accepted the compliment as he drank more of his soup before he sat back down on his chair. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you doing out there in the middle of the night?"

Nowaki saw Hiroki stiffen as he clutched his side in reflex and chose to glare at the wall instead of Nowaki. "I do mind and you wouldn't be keeping me here any longer if you knew why I was out there at this hour. I'll be gone in the morning so you don't have to worry about a thing Kusama."

"Call me Nowaki," Nowaki told him as he placed his bowl on his lap. "You can stay as long as you want Kamijou-san but I think I can guess why you were running in the forest in the middle of the night. It's pretty obvious once you think about it."

"Oh really?" Hiroki inquired as he drank another bit of the soup. "What happened to me?"

Nowaki grimly stated. "You were targeted by the fire nation."

"Were?" Hiroki chortled. "I'm still being hunted down by those bastards, it's more convinient if I don't leave clues that I was here. You are going to be involved in my business and I don't want more people to get hurt because they came into contact with me."

"I don't care."

"What?" Hiroki stared at Nowaki with a stunned expression. "Are you insane?"

Nowaki shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I am, maybe I am not. If you keep going the way you are going then you will collapse someplace where someone will report you. Why not recover your whole strength here? I don't mind having a new roommate and no one ever comes around this part of the forest to begin with so you are safe."

"Let me reiterate if this got lost in the conversation, I am from the fire nation."

"No matter how many times you repeat that it makes no difference to me. You need my help and I'm sure they won't think of looking through this cabin." Nowaki explained as he got closer to Hiroki. "I chose to build my home here on purpose, it's far enough from the next town, good soil to grow vegetables and no one ever comes by."

Hiroki handed Nowaki an empty bowl and inched away from Nowaki, "Are you sure no one comes by here?"

"Not really, only some wanderers but they never stop at my cabin since they go for water at the river." Nowaki answered as it dawned on him, a smile graced his face. "Wait..are you accepting my offer?"

Hiroki nodded his head. "I have no money or clothing anyway...what else can I do?"

"Well I hope you enjoy your stay here Kamijou-san," Nowaki told him as he placed the bowls onto the floor. "Tomorrow I'll go into town and get your some clothes to wear."

Hiroki looked down at his burnt clothes, he removed his shirt and tossed it onto the ground. "I can just borrow your clothes, don't bother." He managed to pull off his pants from underneath the sheets and went with his shirt.

"It's not a problem at all Kamijou-san, all I need is to calculate your measurements and I can give them to seamstress in the town."

"Don't they usually need the person they are making the clothes for to be there? Because as you already know, I can't show my face anywhere."

"I was just there today and I didn't see any posters of you on the board in the middle of the town. The seamstress never asks questions anyway so she won't know they are for you." Nowaki assured Hiroki as he went to his drawer and took out one of his shirts. "Besides, you will look so tiny in my clothes." He presented the long bed shirt to Hiroki. "See you can't wear my clothes for too long."

Hiroki sighed, Nowaki handed him his shirt and he pulled it over his head. "You have a point...so when are you measuring me?"

Nowaki's face turned slightly pink when he imagined measuring Hiroki in only his undergarments with measuring tape, he chuckled to hide it. "We can do this early in the morning if you want, you need your sleep."

Hiroki laid back on the bed and snuggled into the sheets. "Can't argue with that." He saw Nowaki leaving the room as he asked. "Why aren't you going to sleep?"

"I usually stay up late anyway, it's not really an issue that you sleep in my bed." Nowaki explained as he tried holding back a yawn but it escaped from his lips.

Hiroki's eyebrows furrowed as he scooted a good fraction to the corner of the bed. "Get in. I'm already being a bother and we can share the bed. Unless you get creeped out at the idea of sharing a bed with another man."

Nowaki shook his head, he climbed into the bed and laid his head onto the pillow. "Not at all."

Hiroki tried keeping himself awake to see if Nowaki might leave him after he fell asleep. Nowaki chuckled when he noticed Hiroki was trying to keep himself awake and he patted the man's shoulder.

"You can fall asleep anytime now."

"You go to sleep first."

Nowaki smiled as he closed his eyes, of course Hiroki didn't trust him completely yet. "If that's what you want, I can go first."

Hiroki frowned and watched Nowaki until he fell asleep, the obvious sign of his light snoring indicated he was knocked out. Hiroki slept right after him, his body relaxed into the sheets and parts of his body were sore from his sprint in the forest.

This was the first time in months Hiroki almost felt safe in the presence of another person.

TBC


	2. Getting used to home

_A/N: I never knew there were so many Avatar fans in the Junjou fandom. I actually didn't expect such a big response and I was pleasantly surprised but I am glad you all love this fic. I'm already thinking of what Hiroki and Nowaki can get away with since they are living in the middle of the forest, void of any people for miles, so they can act incredibly ridiculous and no one would know...as well as other activities._

_Thank you all so much for favoring, alerting and reviewing it!_

_-Lucicelo_

* * *

Chapter 2: Getting used to home...

When Nowaki woke up in the morning, he saw Hiroki sleeping peacefully right across from him and Nowaki couldn't help but smile at the image. He knew Hiroki struggled getting through the Earth Kingdom on his own with those soldiers ruthlessly chasing after him. Hiroki had not told him his reasons on why he was being pursued though Nowaki understood that not everyone liked revealing anything about themselves to a relatively new person. Especially someone who they assumed would turn them in because of where they came from and in such a vulnerable state.

Without thinking, Nowaki tucked one of Hiroki's stray hairs over his ear. Nowaki liked the color of Hiroki's hair, it looked like he had some streaks of gold threading through it. He saw the sun hitting it in the right places and he was surprised Hiroki didn't wake up from the light. He found a small bruise he missed the day before near Hiroki's ear as he waved his hand and gathered some water from the jug near the bed.

He placed his fingers over the spot as the water glowed as he healed the bruise. Nowaki pressed his fingers lightly on Hiroki's cheek while he tried not to move much on the bed. Slowly, the bruise went away and the skin color went to its normal tint.

Hiroki woke up from the action and he glared at him for being woken up from his sleep. "Why...are you waking me up?" He was a light sleeper at times due to having run away for months and the paranoia made him accustomed to any slight noises or changes in environment.

He hated to admit that Nowaki made him feel real comfortable. This was the best sleep he had in months and he felt real refreshed.

Nowaki chuckled as he told him. "I saw another little bruise and I thought I should heal it for you."

Hiroki moved away from Nowaki as he sat up on the bed. "It's a tiny wound, it would have healed on its own without your interference."

"Well it happened Kamijou-san." He smiled as he stood up on the bed and he stretched up his arms over his head. "What do you want to do today?"

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders as he made sure Nowaki's shirt wouldn't fall down his shoulder. "I don't care. I'm sure there's nothing to do here anyway."

Nowaki shook his head as he smiled when he explained. "On the contrary, there is a lot of things to do. There is a garden we can tend to which is in the side of the cabin, the lake is a while away so we can bathe or get water in the jugs to drink, we can spar outside, so in fact we do have a lot of things to do around here. You just have to creative in what you have to do."

Hiroki frowned, after running through the forest for a long time he didn't feel up to going back outside. "I'd rather not go through the forest for a while. Don't you have any literature in your things for me to read?"

Nowaki got up from the bed when he answered. "I have a few water bending scrolls and some scrolls I bought before I settled here for some reading. Would those be good?"

"Never mind." Hiroki said as he explained to Nowaki his reasons. "One, I am not a water bender so those scrolls wouldn't help me at all. Two, I don't know if those other scrolls would grab my interest."

"Well a few of those scrolls are by this famous author from the Earth Kingdom capital. One of them shows the adventures of an Earth bender who spends his whole life trying to master every aspect of his bending yet he never seems to accomplish it because there is always something new in Earth bending he has to learn. I still have to read the next installment because I was always busy with something."

Hiroki arched a brow. "The story is about a guy who never seems to get better at his element?"

"Yes."

"...It sounds like an never ending circle of him trying to break his limits which he never seems to accomplish. That sounds like a great burden to me, reading it would make me feel like I am not doing any better either."

Nowaki nodded his head as he pointed out. "It's a real motivator when you think about it. It's written so you would have to actually get up and go out to do something."

"Doubt it."

Nowaki thought about the last time he read it and then he said. "Well you have to read it to give me a full review on why it isn't that good of a story from your perspective. You seem to have extensive knowledge on literature."

Hiroki's cheeks warmed up as he coughed into his hand. "I read a lot...when I was back at home. It helped that my father has a library of books his family had collected for generations. I really dove into the stories in those books that I almost read all of them before I left home." Hiroki left out openly stating the words 'fire nation', he didn't know if Nowaki would really get offended and kick him out.

Nowaki nodded his head in understanding. He heard the longing tone in Hiroki's voice when he talked about his father and some aspect of his home life. At times, Nowaki missed his life back at the Northern Water Tribe but then he wouldn't have explored the world on his own and matured. He saw everything with a fresh pair of eyes that he saw that not everything his tribe told him was correct. A good portion was based on pure assumption, not solid facts.

In the middle of war, rumors spread everywhere and almost everything was not truthful.

Hiroki got out of the bed as well and he looked down to notice he wasn't wearing any pants. The shirt Nowaki lent him extended down to the middle of thighs, a blush appeared on his face at the realization. Yesterday, he was too tired to care if he didn't wear pants to bed when usually he wore them in case he needed to run. He sat back onto the bed as he pulled down the shirt down to cover more of his legs. At least he was wearing his underwear and he wasn't going commando.

Nowaki saw that Hiroki sat back onto his bed as he teased him. "Do you want to wear my shirt the rest of the day or do you want me to find some of my old clothes for you to wear?"

Hiroki quickly answered in a huff. "Some of your old clothes would be a better option."

He pulled the blanket on the bed over his legs to cover them from the breeze that crept in through the cracks in the walls. Hiroki shivered as he used some of his bending to warm up slightly, usually his temperature was high but he needed a boost from inner fire to have it spread all throughout his body.

The bedroom was in disarray because of Nowaki's quest to find Hiroki some clothing for the day, Hiroki couldn't go all day in a long shirt. Hiroki agreed with him and remained seated on the bed the whole time as Nowaki pulled out his old clothing from underneath the current ones he wore. In a matter of minutes, his possessions were scattered throughout the room while Hiroki kept his eyes on Nowaki's back.

It wasn't that he didn't trust him, on the contrary, Nowaki seemed harmless to him. He saw Nowaki quickly hiding some undergarments which came into view with a blush on his face and Hiroki smirked. Yes, completely harmless.

Nowaki handed Hiroki a set of clothing he managed to find in his wardrobe. "I grew bigger during my journey so I think these will fit you just fine."

Hiroki simply glanced at him with an expression of disbelief, Nowaki was actually _smaller_ months prior to their meeting the night before? He held the clothing to his chest as Nowaki looked for some shoes that could fit Hiroki. The shoes Hiroki wore were still in good condition, there was a lack of blood on them as well but they would break apart eventually.

Hiroki sighed as he took the opportunity to change the shirt he slept in with the new one Nowaki gave him. "You shouldn't bother, it's not like I am going anywhere that would have me needing to wear shoes."

Nowaki looked over his shoulder right after Hiroki pulled up his pants as he held up a pair of sandals. "Even if we are not going anywhere, you should at least wear them. I think these can fit you, unless you don't like to wear sandals I can get you some boots."

Hiroki shook his head as he put out his hand and Nowaki handed him the sandals. "No, my feet would overheat if I wear the boots that you wear. I am not used to wearing shoes meant for cold weather all of the time."

"Then I will make sure to look for some other shoes for you to wear when I go to the town in a little bit." Nowaki told him and he stood up, finally looking around the bedroom as he saw the mess. "I didn't realize I made such a mess..."

Hiroki stifled a chuckle while Nowaki started gathering all of his clothes from the floor. "I thought you knew from the matter you threw your clothes in different directions." He stood up as he picked up a few of the over sized shirts that landed near him, he handed them to Nowaki who thanked him. "Is there anything else you will be doing today?"

Nowaki folded everything as he sat on the floor. "Maybe tend to my garden for a bit before going to village to get some clothes for you." He placed them back where they were hidden in the big box and he closed the door.

"I have no money to give you, you do realize that."

"I know but I don't mind buying them from you." Nowaki insisted as he got up from the floor. "I'm sure you will want to explore the area in your own fitted clothing."

"You have a point there." Hiroki tucked the rest of the shirt into his pants and put on his sandals. "Though I won't be wandering to that town anytime soon, I would rather keep myself hidden from anyone else."

Nowaki nodded his head as he stood up from the floor and ruffled Hiroki's hair. Hiroki stared up at him with an annoyed expression which only resulted in Nowaki chuckling at his reaction. He wondered when they could spar to gather each other's skills. Talking was nice and everything but when benders sparred, it brought along a new element of getting to know another person.

There was always surprises when benders sparred together in an open or closed space. The movements and skill used to bend the element showed how much the person trained but also how natural they seemed when they displayed their abilities.

Hiroki noticed Nowaki had his eyes on him for a little too long. "Kusama?"

Nowaki snapped out of it when he heard Hiroki then he asked Hiroki. "Well would you like to see where my garden is located? It's right next to this place and I think some of the vegetables are ready to be harvested."

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders. "I am not helping you garden you do know that."

"I don't mind." Nowaki said as they went outside and he pointed to the left side of the cabin. "See it's over there."

Hiroki saw the large patch of land full of vegetables as he slowly said. "You...did all of that?"

"Yes, it took me a while but I think everything is running smoothly." Nowaki said with a smile on his face while he walked toward the garden and Hiroki leaned against the wall looking at him.

* * *

Nowaki used his water bending to gather the water evenly over the patch of land he used for his vegetables and released it. The water sprinkled everywhere, watering the seedlings and the vegetables that were almost ready for picking. It took Nowaki a while to know how to properly garden from an old man he met in his travels who saw him staring at him as he worked. He gave him a long list of tips which would make a good garden for any season and any vegetable. He was actually going to plant some carrots since they were getting expensive in the town.

Hiroki sat at the porch as he observed Nowaki while he bended the water. He could tell Nowaki was trained properly, but the fact that Nowaki learned healing was some what of a mystery. He thought that water benders never had their men learn such a 'feminine' technique. From the scrolls he read at home, he knew that water benders were traditional in every single aspect and it transcended to bending. Men learned the fighting style and the women learned the healing methods.

He had grown up seeing his parents sparring like equals and even burning each other when they got into their spars. Hiroki sat in the sidelines and saw his mother charging at his father without a care, blasting fire at him while he returned the favor. He was always amazed at how his parents respected each other when they fought. They never undermined the other's abilities while they perfected their techniques and their sparring transformed into a fiery dance.

The flames covered the area in a barrage of red, orange and yellows meshing together. When it was sunset, the fire almost sparkled as it blasted through the oncoming night. Hiroki sat there with amazement in his eyes as he saw them smiling when they dodged an attack from each other.

His mother always taught him little tricks on how to better his fire bending, her dazzling smile and kind words always made his days better. His father's stern nature obscured the loving man inside who always took him everywhere with him so they could bond as father and son. Hiroki held the locket in his hands. He really missed them but he was destined to _never_ return to the Fire Nation. Unless he was captured and dragged through the main capital in chains.

Hiroki would spare them the pain of seeing their only son in chains just to have them believe he was free. His parents knew how resilient he was and would hold onto the belief that he managed to escape to a safe haven.

Nowaki's hands gracefully moved the water in specific spots and his body guided the water along without any problem. His body language showed confidence and relaxation, everything needed to be an excellent water bender. The water bending methods were more onto guiding the water along. By forcing it, the water becomes strained and untamed which turned back on the person. Nowaki swayed along with the water as he gathered it into another thin sheet over the grass, he released the water a few seconds later.

He wiped his forehead with his shirt with a smile on his face. Gardening was such a worthwhile hobby and he got delicious vegetables out of it to cook his meals with. When he was back home, all he ate was anything that came from the sea and there was no land for any plants to grow.

Nowaki clapped his hands of excess dirt and walked toward Hiroki. He smiled at him as he went back inside and Hiroki arched a brow at his actions. Hiroki stood up on his feet and stood right next to the door as he watched Nowaki gathering two bags from a box in the corner of the room. Nowaki quickly entered his room and searched for the money he needed and then walked outside.

Nowaki had everything with him as he went to Hiroki and patted his shoulders in reassurance. "I'll be back in a few hours, don't wander off too far okay? You don't know the area well yet and I don't want you getting lost."

Hiroki scoffed at how Nowaki was treating him like a kid. "I'm not a child Kusama, I can handle myself just fine."

Nowaki chuckled when he told him. "I know you are not a child, just be careful okay?"

Hiroki knew he meant to keep away from any soldiers but meeting them was unavoidable in this war. They always appeared out of nowhere and striked when it was to their fancy.

"I am still sore in some places, it would be stupid of me to try to fight them myself."

Nowaki offered. "I can give you a massage when I come back from town if you want. I can use my healing to relax your muscles to make you feel better."

"You'll be tired when you come back, don't bother."

Nowaki picked up a bag from right next to the door when he said. "If you change your mind, just tell me when I walk through the door okay? I'll see you in a few hours."

Hiroki nodded his head as Nowaki walked out of the door and waved at him. Nowaki went through a shortcut he knew would make his trip a little shorter. He didn't want to keep Hiroki alone for too long, Nowaki knew he would grow bored eventually. Which was why he left out the scrolls he had in his possession on the table so when Hiroki looked for something to do, he would be prompted to read them.

Hiroki walked outside as he observed his surroundings. He needed to do something to keep himself from growing bored, his light brown eyes caught onto an axe laying on its side right next to the cabin. He grabbed it as he started cutting down a decent sized tree that he knew would make good firewood. Hiroki moved out of the way as it fell onto the grass and he dragged it to the stump near the cabin he would use to cut them into smaller sizes. He cut down a few more trees before he calculated that he the number of trees he cut were fine.

Hiroki chopped up all the wood from the trees he had cut down. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he looked down at his hands. They were once very smooth and unblemished, now they had callouses and blisters from the hard labor he had to do in order to survive. At least they toughened up for this type of lifestyle in the forest, Hiroki knew he would be staying with Nowaki for a while so he had to earn his keep.

He left the ax leaning against the tree as he gathered the wood in his arms. Hiroki went to the side of the house and dumped half of it inside of the box which housed the wood and took the rest inside. Laying them next to the fire place, Hiroki didn't know what to do to keep himself entertained. As much as he liked his solitude, he had a library of books to read but with Nowaki around that could change.

Hiroki saw the scrolls on the table as he arched a brow, it was as if Nowaki read his mind and left the scrolls out in the open on purpose. He picked up one of the scrolls and opened it, water bending moves were shown as Hiroki closed it back up. He had no need to learn water bending techniques when he had his own fire bending stuff to practice when the danger passed and he got settled in his location. Hiroki opened a scroll with a number one of it and he read the title, he knew this was the story Nowaki talked about earlier that day.

He put it under his arm as he went into the kitchen area and poured himself some water. He then went into the other room and sat down on the one chair in the cabin, he moved the scroll as he started reading. He sipped some of the water and then placed it on the floor right next to him.

* * *

Nowaki waved at the vendors as he wandered through the middle of the town to get to the seamstress's stand of clothes. All of these people waved back before going back to their business. The young ladies in the town kept their eyes on Nowaki from a fair distance as they giggled among themselves. Possibly gossiping about the kind man who always offered everyone a smile. Nowaki thought the villagers were real nice. When he first arrived in town, they were so helpful and they made him feel welcome.

Although, they found it strange that he preferred staying in the forest than live with the rest of the people in town. Nowaki preferred his privacy, something he didn't have much in the Northern Water Tribe because he lived with the head healer in the village. This meant countless people went in and out of his home on a daily basis. Nowaki enjoyed the company but at times he wanted to relax in the comfort of his room or have some form of solitude.

By traveling from his cabin to the town, he had time to enjoy the scenery while he had time to his thoughts. Then when he arrived in the town, he interacted with the people residing in the village who were courteous enough not to pry in his past. A good portion of them understood the desire of privacy, some people just didn't want to talk about certain things and when they were ready, they would talk about it.

Nowaki stopped at the shoe stand when he saw some sandals he thought would fit Hiroki. He inspected Hiroki's shoes and calculated that his shoe size was a tad smaller than his own foot size. He even got a pair of sturdy shoes which would last Hiroki a while since they lived in the forest together. After paying the man, he placed the sandals inside of one of the bags and then ventured through the market place.

Nowaki got near the stand as he looked at the clothes the seamstress had for sale and he found some he knew would fit Hiroki. He checked the bag which held his money and he knew he had more than enough to buy what Hiroki needed.

"Hello Terra." He said with a huge smile on his face and an older woman with graying hair tied back in a lose ponytail turned to stare at Nowaki. "How are you this morning?"

She smiled lightly as she asked. "I'm perfectly fine Nowaki, thank you for asking. Back for more clothes already? Please don't tell me you outgrew the ones I gave you last week."

Nowaki chuckled as he answered her. "No no, the clothes are not for me. They are for my friend, he doesn't have anymore clothes and I wanted to get him some." He placed his bag on the counter.

"Your friend has no clothes to wear? That's odd." She commented as she pulled her hair back and started looking through a pile of clothes with the specifications Nowaki had told her.

Nowaki came up with a quick excuse as he told her. "He lost his possessions on his way to my home when he stayed at a hotel and woke up to find nothing. Luckily, he had some money on him to make it here without a problem but he didn't want to ask me for my clothes to sleep in." He chuckled when he described what Hiroki looked like in his clothing. "He is smaller compared to me and the clothes almost engulfed him."

Terra chuckled along with him as she handed some pants to Nowaki. " She started folding them inside of the bag he brought with him. "He must be really scrawny then."

"Well Hiro has some muscle but he isn't too small either." Nowaki told her.

"So his name is Hiro then? Well hopefully he comes through town one of these days so I can meet him. I always want to know all the new people in the area so I don't seem rude if I don't recognize them." Terra declared.

Nowaki smiled at imagining his new friend walking around the town. He could easily imagine Hiroki going to the store to check out all of the new scrolls to read before venturing anywhere else. From what he got from Hiroki that morning, the man really enjoyed reading so suggesting such a place would be perfect.

He gazed over his shoulder and saw the shop right across from the clothing stand. The place was almost desolate on account of the people in town never finding the time to read those stories. Most worked long hours in the day and found focusing on reality more important than divulging in the written word. Hiroki would have his privacy and have interacted with the kind people in the town who would be more than happy to make Hiroki feel welcome.

Nowaki might bring up the place to Hiroki to maybe get him out of the cabin once in a while. At least to have the villagers see what he looked like and Hiroki would feel safer in the area.

One question did nag him inside of his mind and he needed to ask it before he left town.

"Terra?" Nowaki inquired.

Terra grabbed more shirts as she turned around, giving Nowaki her full attention. "Yes Nowaki?"

He asked her. "Do you know of any possible criminals wandering the area?"

The older woman thought for a moment before she answered. "Well I haven't heard any latest gossip on this issue, though I heard some fire bending soldiers were in the town a day away from here but they wandered up North. Whoever your friend is, lucked out in not bumping into them"

Nowaki nodded his head before folding the clothes in his arms inside of the bag he brought. "Alright I'll tread carefully when I go back home...I'll tell my friend about this as well. He doesn't like fire benders much and would be relieved at this news."

She handed him more clothes and Nowaki handed her the money to cover all of it. "Nowaki, anyone would be relieved in not having to bump into those ruffians. The more we stay out of their way, the better chance we have in staying in peace for another day."

Nowaki nodded his head as he told her. "I know, I'll talk to you later Terra. I'm sure all of this will fit Hiro without a problem." He waved at her as he walked away and talked with a few more people in the town.

He saw the large bulletin board as he hurried to see the posters of the wanted criminals running through the Earth Kingdom. Looking through all of them, Nowaki sighed in relief when he didn't see Hiroki's name in any of them. Nowaki was in a chipper mood when he left the town and he couldn't wait to tell Hiroki the good news.

* * *

Nowaki carried a bag full of clothes for Hiroki and another bag full of necessities that he needed. He was lucky that Terra had extra clothes Hiroki's size and the market had some good shoes that would fit Hiroki's feet. He found no indication that anyone knew about Hiroki Kamijou in his trip through the town. The bulletin board in the middle of the town didn't show a poster of Hiroki with a bounty over his head. Nowaki was glad when he found this out, his new friend could walk around without feeling he was unsafe for a while.

There was the exception of the fire nation soldiers who were still wandering around. Despite the distance between them, Nowaki wasn't placated on the news they might not come back to the South. The course of action in a war always changed so there was no way to predict the next move of the enemy. Unless there was someone inside of the ranks relaying news then no one knew anything.

He saw Hiroki sitting on a chair with the scroll he talked about earlier on his lap as his eyes rapidly read the words while he took more sips of water. Hiroki was so absorbed into the story that he didn't notice Nowaki at the front door as he moved the scroll slightly to read more of the text.

In a cheerful voice, Nowaki said. "I'm back."

Hiroki tried not to look surprised as he lifted his head to stare directly at Nowaki when he told him. "Welcome back." He swore under his breath, he was caught off guard _again_.

Nowaki walked inside and handed Hiroki the bag from his arms which contained the shoes and the clothes. "I managed to get a few days worth of clothes for you, I even got a few more things I needed here at home as well."

Hiroki nodded his head as he peeked inside of the bag and saw a variety of clothes. "...Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Nowaki smiled as he put down the rest of the things he bought onto the floor. "You were not bored while I was away right?"

Hiroki pointed to the scroll in his hands. "I have been reading this story for the past few hours...it was not as bad as I expected." He closed up the scroll as he laid it on the table with the other scroll he finished. "I made some stew too."

Nowaki went to the pot and smelled it as he commented. "It smells really good Hiro-san."

Hiroki nodded his head and processed the name Nowaki regarded him when he addressed him. His eyes widened as he turned to Nowaki with an astounded expression on his face. "What did you just call me?"

"Hiro-san." Nowaki answered as he pointed out. "Calling you Kamijou-san seems inconvenient don't you think? No one would ever suspect that Hiro-san is a fugitive from the Fire Nation."

Hiroki shushed him as he slammed his hands onto the table. "Do you have to s_ay_ it out _loud_? Honestly, Kusama-"

"Nowaki." Nowaki intercepted Hiroki and the fire bender glared at him for interrupting him. "Some people in town know I have a friend living with me. It would be weird that my friend is calling me by my last name and not my first name. Besides, there will be a day where you are not going to handle staying here and you would want to wander the town."

Hiroki scoffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't think so. I would rather keep to myself than to walk into a town where I'm sure I won't find anything to do. I never ventured out much when I was at home unless someone from my family wanted me to go with them."

Nowaki remembered the place which housed scrolls as he told Hiroki. "Hiro-san, there's a place with a lot of literature in town. It's right across from the clothing stand."

Hiroki's interest peaked as he said. "Really?"

Nowaki mentally cheered while he chuckled. "Yes, really. I'm not sure if the selection is really big enough but there could be some scrolls you might like."

Hiroki shrugged his shoulders. "I usually dig through countless scrolls until I find something I like, it keeps me busy."

Nowaki couldn't contain his other news any longer as he said. "I have something else to tell you which I am sure you will be happy about." Nowaki grinned as he served himself a bowl of soup.

Hiroki arched a brow. "It must be good if you are grinning like that."

"The fire nation soldiers went up North! They have not thought of coming to this area and have left until further notice. Everyone in town always has an ear open to this news so we will always know if they ever get near here."

Hiroki visibly relaxed and was relieved at this news, it meant he could recuperate to his full strength. "So...there's no possibility that they will come back anytime soon?" He inquired.

Nowaki nodded his head and patted Hiroki's back. "I asked a few people and they told me the same thing so I am sure we are safe." He sat right across from Hiroki while he took a sip of the stew the man made. "Just to be safe, do you have anything on you that could identify you?"

Hiroki thought for a moment and he looked down at the locket he wore around his neck. He noticed Nowaki staring at it as well as Hiroki clasped his hand around it in a protective manner.

"No. This is not coming off of my neck Ku- Nowaki." Hiroki told him as he stuffed it inside of his shirt, the content inside of his locket was not something to be ashamed of and he was damned if someone told him to get rid of it.

Nowaki put his hands up in defense as he assured him. "I understand Hiro-san, I just mean anything else that might give anyone else clues."

Hiroki shook his head and he explained. "Any possessions I might of had to identity me were left behind a really long time ago. Unless someone manages to see this underneath my shirt, no one will ever know."

"I see..." Nowaki was interested in the contents of it since Hiroki was so overprotective of it but that would be a question for another time. "So how did you enjoy the story?" This new topic would certainly direct the conversation onto something more light and happy.

Hiroki spent a good while explaining to Nowaki his exact thoughts and how the story was not as bad as he first thought. The characters served a purpose to the main character and they helped him boost himself up through all of his trials and tribulations. His voice sounded so enthusiastic and Nowaki was pulled in through his interpretation of the story.

Nowaki provided his own input since he had read the first story before and they ended up having a long discussion throughout a good portion of the afternoon. Hiroki was the one who noticed when the sun was setting and Nowaki chuckled at how involved they ended up in talking about the story. Hiroki placed a hand on Nowaki's bowl and reheated it before he served himself a bowl. He heated his own soup and then they ate while Nowaki talked about different topics which pushed aside the gloomy cloud created by mentioning the fire nation.

Hiroki hid the small smile on his face behind his bowl when he saw how comfortable Nowaki talked with him. This man was too kind to him and he didn't want to ruin it but he knew one day he had to leave all of this peace behind.

TBC


End file.
